Top entities: Republic of Ireland, Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, Donall O Keefe, Anthony Foley, Licensed Vintners Association.

What category does this event fall under?

Business — classified as industry report.

What is the sentiment of coverage?

Aggregate sentiment score: 5 on a -100 to +100 scale (negative = critical coverage, positive = favorable coverage).

What were the key actions taken?

Drinks Industry Group of Ireland published report · Donall O Keefe called for excise tax cut

Is this event still developing?

This is an active story, last updated Jul 28, 2026. Coverage continues to evolve.

Business industry report

Ireland alcohol consumption falls 2.1% in 2025

Q: When did this event occur?

First reported Jul 26, 2026; last updated Jul 28, 2026.

Q: What is the market impact?

General. The continued decline in alcohol consumption may pressure revenues for Irish brewers, distillers, and pub operators, though the shift toward wine could benefit wine importers.

Analysis based on 11 articles · First reported Jul 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026

Sentiment

Attention

Articles

Market Impact

General

Live prominence charts, article sentiment distribution, and event development timeline available on the Ergen Dashboard

Market Impact

The continued decline in alcohol consumption may pressure revenues for Irish brewers, distillers, and pub operators, though the shift toward wine could benefit wine importers. The call for excise tax cuts, if implemented, could provide relief to the hospitality sector but may reduce government tax revenue.

alcoholic beverages hospitality

Event Summary

A report by economist Anthony Foley on behalf of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) shows that average alcohol consumption per adult in Republic of Ireland fell by 2.1% in 2025 to 9.30 litres of pure alcohol, continuing a downward trend of more than a third since 2001. Beer remains the most popular drink with 42.1% market share despite a 2.7% volume drop, while wine increased 4.0% to 29.4% share. DIGI Secretary Donall O Keefe called for an immediate 10% cut in excise tax, arguing that Irish consumers pay one of the highest rates in the EU, which hurts small hospitality businesses and tourism competitiveness. The report notes that Republic of Ireland's consumption is now within the European average, based on OECD data.

Key Actions

80 Drinks Industry Group of Ireland published report

60 Donall O Keefe called for excise tax cut

Entities Involved

cnt

Republic of Ireland

Country where alcohol consumption is declining; subject of the report.

Importance 100.0 Sentiment 5.0

ngo

Drinks Industry Group of Ireland

Commissioned the report and advocates for excise tax reduction to support the industry.

Importance 80.0 Sentiment 0.0